Five Mystery Horror Films You Need To Watch This Halloween Season

This 2010 mystery thriller, directed by Martin Scorsese, will be sure to leave you on the edge of your seat. Starring Leonardo DiCaprio the movie takes place on a remote, windswept island, inside an insane asylum called Ashecliffe. The movie quickly escalates into chaos and ends with a twist. You won’t be disappointed.

This 2017 mystery film, by Darren Aronofsky, is a personal favorite, and I believe it is one of the best films out there. Since it stars Jennifer Lawrence as the main character, I’m surprised more people don’t know about this movie. It starts off with a couple living in an old Victorian mansion in the countryside. The story builds when strangers begin to show up. Fair warning: this movie is very anxiety-triggering and chaotic towards the end, but it’s worth the watch. To make the film even better, it has an underlying poetic tone and the director leaves personal interpretation up to the viewer. It is fairly rare that a movie can make you feel strong emotions, but this one takes the cake. 

Directed by the up-and-coming Ari Aster, the only good word I have for this one is dark. The movie is a bit slower to start and has an underlying tone that gives me the creeps. Released in 2018, the director went above and beyond with an artistic touch that reaches out to the viewer  with a tone darker than black. The storyline picks up when their grandmother passes away and the family begins to unravel the truth about their bloodline’s secrets. 

This 2019 film, also directed by Ari Aster, doesn’t disappoint. Not as dark as Hereditary, but with plenty of unsettling undertones and images. This one is about a group of friends traveling to Sweden to visit their friend’s small community. Everything turns upside down very quickly, offering the audience a show they’ve never seen before.

Taking place in the 1630s when witchcraft and black magic were heavily looked down upon and feared, this one keeps you on your feet. The director, Robert Eggers, wanted to forge the same fear in the audience that the early Puritan settlers felt towards witches. The family, who the movie is based on, quickly realizes they’re not alone on their “secluded” farm.